Ames, Iowa (CNN) – Newly minted Ames Straw Poll winner Michele Bachmann is already sounding like a front-runner – saying her win is the “first step” on the road to the White House.

And though the GOP congresswoman for Minnesota has not yet won any caucus or primary, she said she’s ready to head to all 50 states. The Ames contest is a nonbinding contest that generates tremendous buzz, but does not award delegates toward winning the GOP presidential nomination.FULL POST

The GOP presidential candidate and former senator from Pennsylvania came in fourth at the Republican straw poll in Ames, Iowa, Saturday, behind Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas and finishing just over 600 votes behind former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.FULL POST

Ames, Iowa (CNN) - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann on Saturday won the Ames Straw Poll, besting eight other Republican candidates in a nonbinding but politically significant vote in the first caucus state of Iowa.

The vote was billed as one that could make or break some campaigns. Six Republican presidential hopefuls on Saturday personally appealed for Iowans' vote, not including former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. She drew throngs at the Iowa State Fair on Friday but has yet to officially decide if she's running.

Ames, Iowa (CNN) - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann’s narrow victory at the Ames Straw Poll on Saturday dealt a serious blow to the presidential hopes of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who now must rethink his candidacy after staking much of his campaign on a strong performance in Iowa.

Pawlenty and his advisers had hoped that a first or second-place finish would validate his Iowa strategy and give his flagging campaign a much-needed boost.FULL POST

Greenland, New Hampshire (CNN) - Texas Gov. Rick Perry kicked off his presidential campaign in the first-in-the-nation primary state with a pro-business message and a healthy dose of Texas wisdom.

A tea party favorite who is making an appeal to both social and fiscal conservatives, Perry highlighted his record of job creation in Texas and accused President Obama of strangling economic growth and increasing the federal government's reach.FULL POST

Ames, Iowa (CNN) - Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann won a narrow victory at the Ames Straw Poll, outpacing Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty in a vote that cements Bachmann’s status as the Iowa frontrunner and is all but certain to force Pawlenty to reassess his candidacy.

Iowa GOP officials said nearly 17,000 ballots were cast in the straw poll, a closely scrutinized test of each campaign’s organizational muscle in Iowa.FULL POST

Ames, Iowa (CNN) – What does Herman Cain think of potentially running with Michele Bachmann on a presidential ticket?

The businessman from Georgia was asked that question after a tea party activist said a Bachmann-Cain ticket would be a “dream team.” Other tea partiers also have high praise for both Republican presidential candidates, believing that both are fully wedded to tea party ideals.FULL POST

Dover, New Hampshire (CNN) - Jon Huntsman spent Saturday making campaign stops in this important early primary state as many of his rivals sought to convince Iowa voters to support them in a Republican Party-sponsored straw poll.

Huntsman, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination, appeared at a debate in Iowa on Thursday and returned to New Hampshire this weekend to engage in retail politicking - meeting people at restaurants and businesses throughout the state to talk about his vision for the future and his candidacy for the nomination.FULL POST